Electrical connectors with crosstalk compensation

Abstract

An electrical connector including mating conductors configured to engage select plug contacts of a modular plug. The connector includes a printed circuit that interconnects the mating conductors to terminal contacts. The printed circuit includes first and second shielding rows of conductor vias that are located between end portions of the printed circuit and are electrically connected to the mating conductors. The first and second shielding rows extend along first and second row axes, respectively, which extend substantially parallel to each other. The printed circuit also includes outer terminal vias electrically connected to the terminal contacts. Each end portion has terminal vias therein that are distributed in a direction along the first and second row axes. The printed circuit also includes a pair of shielded vias located between the first and second shielding rows and along a central-pair axis that extends substantially parallel to the first and second row axes.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An electrical connector comprising:
 an array of mating conductors configured to engage select plug contacts of a modular plug, the mating conductors comprising differential pairs; 
 a plurality of terminal contacts configured to electrically connect to select cable wires; and 
 a printed circuit interconnecting the mating conductors to the terminal contacts, the printed circuit having opposite end portions and further comprising:
 first and second shielding rows of conductor vias located between the end portions and electrically connected to the mating conductors, the conductor vias of each of the first and second shielding rows being substantially aligned along first and second row axes, respectively, the first and second row axes being substantially parallel to each other; 
 outer terminal vias electrically connected to the terminal contacts, each end portion having terminal vias therein that are distributed in a direction along the first and second row axes; and 
 a pair of shielded vias electrically connected to corresponding mating conductors, the pair of shielded vias being located between the first and second shielding rows and located along a central-pair axis extending therebetween that extends substantially parallel to the first and second row axes, wherein the conductor vias of the first and second shielding rows are located to electrically isolate the shielded vias from the terminal vias. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The connector in accordance with  claim 1  wherein the conductor vias include a differential pair of conductor vias, each conductor via of the differential pair being substantially equidistant from at least one of the shielded vias, the at least one shielded via forming a dual-polarity coupling with the conductor vias of the differential pair. 
     
     
       3. The connector in accordance with  claim 2  wherein each of the first and second shielding rows includes one conductor via of the differential pair. 
     
     
       4. The connector in accordance with  claim 2  wherein the differential pair of conductor vias is a first differential pair, the conductor vias further comprising a second differential pair of conductor vias, wherein the at least one shielded via forms a dual-polarity coupling with the conductor vias of the first differential pair and also a dual-polarity coupling with the conductor vias of the second differential pair. 
     
     
       5. The connector in accordance with  claim 2  wherein the differential pair of conductor vias includes a first and second conductor vias, the first and second conductor vias being located first and second distances away, respectively, from the at least one shielded via, a difference between the first and second distances being at most 30% of one of the first and second distances. 
     
     
       6. The connector in accordance with  claim 1  wherein at least one shielded via is substantially equidistant from the first and second row axes. 
     
     
       7. The connector in accordance with  claim 1  wherein the terminal vias comprise a differential pair, the terminal vias of the differential pair being substantially equidistant from one of the conductor vias of the first or second shielding row. 
     
     
       8. The connector in accordance with  claim 1  wherein the shielded vias are separated from each other by a distance that is less than shortest distances separating the shielded vias from the first and second row axes. 
     
     
       9. The connector in accordance with  claim 1  wherein the terminal vias comprise differential pairs spaced apart from each other, the associated terminal vias of the differential pairs being positioned adjacent to each other. 
     
     
       10. The connector in accordance with  claim 9  wherein the terminal vias of each differential pair are intersected by a corresponding plane, the planes of each of the differential pairs facing a center of the printed circuit, each plane facing a different direction with respect to other planes. 
     
     
       11. The connector in accordance with  claim 10  wherein each plane faces one other plane across the center of the printed circuit. 
     
     
       12. The connector in accordance with  claim 1  wherein the pair of shielded vias are electrically connected to a differential pair of mating conductors, the differential pair of mating conductors being split by another differential pair of mating conductors. 
     
     
       13. The connector in accordance with  claim 1  wherein the mating conductors comprise adjacent mating conductors having respective coupling regions that capacitively couple to each other, the coupling regions being located proximate to the printed circuit, each coupling region has a side that extends along the thickness and faces the side of the coupling region of the adjacent mating conductor, wherein the thickness along each coupling region is greater than the width. 
     
     
       14. An electrical connector configured to electrically interconnect a modular plug and cable wires, the connector comprising:
 a connector body having an interior chamber configured to receive the modular plug; 
 a printed circuit comprising a substrate having conductor vias; and 
 an array of mating conductors in the interior chamber configured to engage select plug contacts of the modular plug along mating surfaces, the mating conductors extending between the mating surfaces and corresponding conductor vias of the printed circuit, the mating conductors having a cross-section including a width and a thickness, the mating conductors comprising adjacent mating conductors having respective coupling regions that capacitively couple to each other, each coupling region having a side that extends along the thickness and faces the side of the coupling region of the adjacent mating conductor, wherein the thickness along each coupling region is greater than the width. 
 
     
     
       15. The connector in accordance with  claim 14  wherein the sides along the coupling regions have surfaces areas configured for a desired crosstalk coupling. 
     
     
       16. The connector in accordance with  claim 14  wherein the adjacent mating conductors comprise separable circuit contacts coupled to the conductor vias of the printed circuit, the circuit contacts extending substantially parallel to a surface of the printed circuit and including the coupling regions. 
     
     
       17. The connector in accordance with  claim 14  wherein the printed circuit has opposite end portions and further comprises:
 first and second shielding rows of conductor vias located between the end portions and electrically connected to the mating conductors, the conductor vias of each of the first and second shielding rows being substantially aligned along first and second row axes, respectively, the first and second row axes being substantially parallel to each other; 
 outer terminal vias electrically connected to terminal contacts of the printed circuit, each end portion having terminal vias therein that are distributed in a direction along the first and second row axes; and 
 a pair of shielded vias electrically connected to corresponding mating conductors, the pair of shielded vias being located between the first and second shielding rows and having a central-pair axis extending therebetween that extends substantially parallel to the first and second row axes, wherein the conductor vias of the first and second shielding rows are located to electrically isolate the shielded vias from the terminal vias. 
 
     
     
       18. The connector in accordance with  claim 14  wherein the coupling regions form corresponding conductive pathways where current is transmitted therethrough, the conductive pathways extending parallel to a surface of the printed circuit and with respect to each other, the conductive pathways extending different lengths along the surface of the printed circuit. 
     
     
       19. The connector in accordance with  claim 18  wherein the conductive pathways extend in different directions along the surface of the printed circuit. 
     
     
       20. The connector in accordance with  claim 18  wherein the different lengths are configured to improve return loss.